New generation lightweight fighter aircraft, such as Eurofighter and Rafale, demand significant weight reduction for all their subsystems in order to achieve a lower aircraft total mass. The Mk16 ejection seat achieves its remarkably light weight by combining the twin catapult outer cylinder tubes as both propulsion system and as the seat's primary structure. The Mk16 ejection seat design optimizes pilot field of view, improves comfort and pilot efficiency, provides integration with OBOGS, chemical defence and helmet mounted systems. Reliability and maintainability have been key elements in the design, resulting in an escape system that has full component accessibility in the cockpit. Modular construction enables the seat to be safely removed or installed in minutes without removing the aircraft cockpit canopy.These and other design features will ensure that this new generation of ejection seat succeeds the Martin-Baker Mk10 as the world's most popular escape system.
- Seat firing handle pulled, centrale initiates rigid hermetic transmission chain (RHTC)
- Command firing initiated
- Harness power retraction unit retracts shoulder straps
- Canopy fractured by canopy pyrotechnic cutting system
- Primary cartridge fires, bottom latches engage, top latches disengage seat rises up rails
- Aircraft services disconnected
- Emergency oxygen supplied to aircrew
- Legs and arms restrained
- IFF tripped
- Secondary cartridges fire as seat rises
- Multi-purpose initiators fire
- Mechanical mode selector (MMS), Barostatic time-release unit (BTRU) and Drogue deployment unit timer (DDUT) sears tripped
- Underseat and lateral rocket motors fire
- Leg restraint lines become taut and rivets shear, freeing lines from floor brackets
- Aerodynamic surfaces deploy
- Drogue deployment unit fires after delay
- Time delays initiated for MMS and BTRU
- Manual override (MOR) lock disengaged
- Low speed, low altitude mode
- MMS senses mode, fires primary circuit
- Drogue canister deployed, pulls bridle clear
- Upper and lower bridle locks released
- Intermediate mode
- MMS inhibited above 7500 ft (2286 m)
- Drogue stabilises and decelerates seat
- High speed, low altitude mode
- MMS inhibited above 260 KEAS or 4 G
- Drogue stabilises and decelerates seat
- BTRU runs out firing primary circuit
- High altitude mode
- Drogue stabilises and decelerates seat
- Emergency oxygen supply continued
- Drogue releases at barostate altitude of 16400 ft (5000 m)
- Headbox deployment initiated
- Upper harness locks release
- Man portion PEC release
- Arm and leg restraint lines cut
- Lower harness locks release after delay
- Parachute inflates
- Auxiliary drogue pulls headbox clear
- Personal locator beacon activated
- PSP retained
- Aircrew descends on parachute
- PSP automatically lowered after delay
- Liferaft automatically inflates